Thanks for sharing the link to Olabisi Akadiri's article. I truly believe that horrible cruelties were performed on enslaved peoples. I have no illusions of "kind" white masters. I didn't read this book, as I didn't want nightmares. I am sorry that CHOSSA have to live with such horrible memories.

I do believe that such evil occurrences need to be recorded and be available for research--nothing should be hidden. I also believe that most affirmed white supremacists wouldn't be swayed by learning of these horrors, as they live in denial.

What came to my mind when reading a description of this book, was the perpetration of these same type of crimes: rape ( both male and female), pedophilia, and sexual acts of torture, were and are committed by the priests in the Catholic Church. Priests, in their positions of power, continue to commit these heinous crimes, and yet so many Catholics refuse to condemn the inaction of the Popes throughout the years. I left the Church years ago, and I find it incredible that so many people are okay with "picking and choosing" what they want to believe rather than facing the awful reality.

While this book is about black men, I agree with Olabisi Akadiri's statement in his article that you linked, that all enslavement needs to be condemned even if the enslavers used different tactics (no differentiation between "good slavery" and "bad slavery"; it's all bad).

I researched articles about this book, and I believe that Woodard made excellent points about homosexuality in the black community. It is sad that black men who identify as anything other than "straight" are often stigmatized. Woodard poses probable theories of why the black community finds homosexuality unacceptable due to the abuse by white men and women. I can only imagine what it must be like to carry such a burden.

I hope university libraries will add this book to their research sections, as it dives into topics that are important.